Creating safer streets in Langley City. 80% drop in crashes on 203 Street.

The majority of streets in Metro Vancouver have been built and are maintained by municipalities. As I posted about in early January, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of fatalities in our province and a leading cause of hospitalizations. These statistics are alarming and unacceptable. These statistics are unacceptable because street design is directly linked to both the severity and number of crashes. Street design can be changed.

Many municipalities in North America are adopting “Vision Zero” principles to reduce the severity of injuries from crashes and to eliminate fatalities caused by motor vehicle crashes.

While Langley City has not official adopted Vision Zero principles, the City has nonetheless being making changes to our street network to reduce speeding and conflicts at intersections which help to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions.

Over the past several years, there has been a significant redesign of two streets in our community that have been completed to improve safety for all street users: 203rd Street and 53/51B Avenue, east of 204th Street.

Have these street redesigns been successful in creating safer streets?

203rd Street at 53A Avenue. Select image to enlarge.

Between the beginning of April 2016 and end of March 2017, there were 12 collision on 203rd Street between Michaud Crescent and Grade Crescent according to RCMP data. Between the beginning of April 2017 and end of March 2018, there were 2.

Between the beginning of February 2017 and end of January 2018, there were 4 collisions on 53/51B Avenue between from 204 and 208 Street. Between the beginning of February 2018 and end of January 2019, there were 2.

There have also been various smaller traffic calming projects implemented throughout Langley City in the past few years. Headlines were made in 2017 when there were several vehicles that crashed and flipped along 50 Avenue near Condor Park.

Before traffic calming was installed along this section of 50 Avenue, there were 4 collisions between the beginning November 2016 and the end of October 2017. Between the beginning of November 2017 and end of October 2018, there was 1 collision.

Most of the changes that have been made to Langley City streets in the last several years seem to be reducing the number of collisions. The means safer streets which results in a happier and healthier community.